Environmental-economic assessment of hybrid power systems for fishing vessels

Abstract

Decarbonization of the fishing sector is an important step toward achieving global climate goals while ensuring the long-term sustainability of marine ecosystems. This sector, heavily reliant on fossil fuels, particularly for vessel operations, contributes significantly to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Hybrid and multi-source energy systems, including microgrids that integrate renewables and energy storage, offer a sustainable solution for optimizing energy use, enhancing efficiency, and stabilizing power. This paper involves microgrid configurations for trawlers and purse seiners, two types of fishing vessels with distinct operating profiles. Through load scheduling based on fuel consumption measurement results, the study provides a cost-benefit analysis that reflects each vessel’s unique energy requirements, offering insights into optimal power solutions for the fishing industry. Three distinct configurations have been analyzed: diesel engine-powered, hybrid (diesel generator with battery storage), and plug-in hybrid. The simulations offer financial variables such as Net Present Cost (NPC) and Operation and Maintenance (O&M) costs to determine the most cost-effective solution. Results show that for purse seiners, diesel engine-powered configurations incurred the highest NPC, primarily due to high diesel fuel costs. Plug-in and model demonstrated lower NPCs, benefiting from greater energy efficiency despite higher initial investments. For trawlers, the plug-in model achieved the lowest NPC, while the hybrid configuration yielded costs higher than diesel engine. Across both vessel types, fuel remained the dominant cost driver, highlighting the critical importance of energy-efficient operation.